Security leadership drives results — tools alone don’t protect your business. Choosing between a virtual CISO (vCISO), MSP, or MSSP is critical. MSPs/MSSPs provide labor and tools; a vCISO owns outcomes. One keeps the lights on, the other defends the business, satisfies regulators, and reports to the board. Prioritize risk reduction, revenue protection, and audit readiness — choose a vCISO to lead strategy while MSPs/MSSPs execute.
Executive-level leader accountable for cybersecurity strategy, governance, risk reduction, compliance outcomes, and board reporting. Builds the security program, sets priorities, measures results, and holds vendors (including MSP/MSSP) accountable.
IT operations vendor. Keeps endpoints patched, backups running, and tickets closed. Optimized for efficiency, not for risk governance or compliance readiness.
Tool-enabled monitoring vendor. Sells alerts, dashboards, and incident triage. Optimized for detection volume, not for business outcomes or regulatory compliance.
Virtual CISOs report to executives and board committees; MSPs and MSSPs report to IT managers.
A vCISO’s role is to reduce risk efficiently; MSP/MSSP vendors are financially incentivized to sell more tools and hours.
Virtual CISOs align controls with NIST, SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, CMMC, and privacy laws — providing proof. MSPs/MSSPs perform tasks but don’t own attestations or audit narratives.
A vCISO converts 1,000 alerts into a 90-day security roadmap with hard milestones. MSP/MSSP vendors escalate alerts and open tickets.
Virtual CISOs allocate cybersecurity spend to the most significant risk reductions. MSPs and MSSPs propose another platform “bundle.”
The virtual CISO leads the breach response, from legal coordination to board updates to lessons learned. MSSPs “detect,” then punt.
vCISOs set SLAs, measure security outcomes, and terminate underperformers. MSP/MSSP vendors do not fire themselves.
Virtual CISOs translate cyber risk into business impact and KPIs. MSPs and MSSPs send monthly activity reports.
vCISOs build compliance evidence packages that win deals and pass due diligence. MSP/MSSP vendors share screenshots of tools.
Virtual CISOs design repeatable security processes; MSPs and MSSPs rotate staff and swap tools.
True Cost Comparison
vCISO: A focused retainer aligned to risk reduction and compliance milestones. Cybersecurity spend is right-sized, tracked, and justified to the board.
MSP/MSSP: Monthly fees that scale with endpoints, ingestion, and add-ons — regardless of actual risk reduction or security outcomes.
Bottom line: You don’t need “more alerts.” You need fewer, more relevant alerts and a leader who can prove why each dollar you spend lowers risk.
Strategic Oversight
Hidden Risks
Ask these questions and watch the room get quiet:
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
Contact us to learn how executive-level cybersecurity leadership ensures every one of these questions has a defined owner, measurable outcome, and board-ready response.
You can outsource security tools and labor. You cannot outsource accountability. If no one in your organization is explicitly accountable for cyber risk at the executive level, you don’t have security — you have invoices.
If you need board-ready security, regulatory confidence, and measurable risk reduction — not another dashboard — engage a virtual CISO. We’ll assess your current security posture, develop a 90-day plan, and ensure your MSP/MSSP finally aligns with your business objectives.
vCISO: Always sets cybersecurity strategy, owns security outcomes, and communicates with executives and the board.
MSSP: For security monitoring and incident response capacity, under vCISO oversight and governance.
MSP: For IT operations, patching, and backups — under vCISO policy and security standards.
Without a virtual CISO, MSP/MSSP spend becomes random. With a vCISO, the same vendors become force multipliers for your security program.
Dr. Daniel Glauber, Founder and CEO of Heights Consulting Group
